E-letter: News Feed

The merger between the two Spanish direct-to-home (DTH) satellite platforms, Sogecable’s Canal Satelite Digital and Telefonica’s Via Digital, moved a step closer when Telefonica and Sogecable agreed to comply with […]

So far, it has been a difficult year for the European Space Agency (ESA). Problems with the launch of the Rosetta scientific mission as well as continuing questions over the […]

France Telecom’s decision to sell its stake in Eutelsat to the French investment company Eurazeo has cost the French telco more than 100 million euros ($108 million), compared to the […]

A = Analog D = Digital 80 degreesE: Express 6A D RTR Kultura has been replaced by Yamal TV on 11611 MHz vertical, SR 5060, FEC 3/4, VPID 1160, APID […]

BSkyB could be facing a serious issue with average revenue per subscriber (ARPU) this year. In a research note, Banc of America Securities media analyst Sean Eddie issued a “sell” […]

PanAmSat CEO Joe Wright has had a busy few weeks. Despite his best efforts, it seems unlikely that PanAmSat will be able to acquire European rival Eutelsat, at least in […]

SES Astra’s decision to set up a consortium to develop a low-cost satellite return channel to support interactive TV applications (see Interspace issue 761) for set-top boxes (STBs) was originally […]

Satellite broadcast services provider GlobeCast has launched a digital direct-to-home platform on a Eutelsat HOT BIRD satellite. The France Telecom subsidiary’s new proprietary DTH platform will operate on the satellite […]

Private investment firm Falconhead Capital is paying $30 million to acquire Maritime Telecommunications Network (MTN), a provider of satellite-based communications and networking services to the cruise ship and offshore oil […]

By Joe Pelton The recent Columbia disaster, as tragic as it was, has highlighted the danger of the U.S. relying too heavily on the space shuttle for access to space. […]

CapRock Services Corp., established in 1981 to provide satellite communications services to the oil and gas community, just added Oceaneering International Inc. [OII] to its customer base. CapRock’s IP Xpress […]

European fixed satellite service (FSS) operator Eutelsat has rarely been out of the headlines in recent months. Last month, it saw the Ariane 5 fail to place its HOT BIRD […]

New York’s Loral Space & Communications [LOR] is acknowledging for the first time that claims against it by France-based Alcatel Space could have a “material” impact on its financial picture. […]

New Skies Satellites N.V. [NSK], a global satellite operator based in the Hague, the Netherlands, plans to change the orbital assignment for its yet-to-be launched NSS-8 satellite. The spacecraft originally […]

Alexis Livanos is leaving his position as an executive vice president of Boeing Satellite Systems division to join Northop Grumman [NOC]. In his post as vice president of program operations […]

ViaSat [VSAT] has received a delivery order from ARINC for initial production quantities of SKYLink airborne integrated satellite communications terminals. The contract includes delivery of terminals for corporate jets built […]

Epicus, a subsidiary of Phoenix International Industries [PHXU], has signed a comprehensive joint sales and marketing agreement with Satellite Solutions, a DirecTV reseller. The agreement enables Epicus (West Palm Beach, […]

Standard & Poor’s Rating Services has downgraded Telesat Canada’s debt rating. S&P analyst Barbara Komjathy said the company’s biggest challenge is excess capacity on satellite and fiber-optic networks, which could […]

Week of Jan. 31 – Feb. 6, 2003 Percentage Change Symbol Feb. 6 Price One Week One Month Three Month Year to Date Operators APT SATELLITE HLDGS ATS 1.56 (8.0) […]

Space Imaging will be pursuing future opportunities with 65 fewer employees after layoffs there last Thursday. The company’s board of directors approved the cuts and also backed plans to secure […]

The dramatic impact of the Challenger explosion on the U.S. launch and satellite industries will not be repeated in the aftermath of the Columbia disaster, experts say. When the Challenger […]

Joseph Wright, the president and CEO of Wilton, Conn.-based satellite operator PanAmSat Corp. [SPOT], has laid out a growth strategy for his company that entails entering the broadband market later […]

Mobile satellite operators will enjoy expanded opportunities to develop viable businesses and to meet consumer needs following a landmark decision by the Federal Communications Commission last week allowing mobile satellite […]

Ottawa-based C-Com Satellite Systems Inc. [CMI] is partnering with the Minnesota State Patrol to keep the U.S.-Canada border secure. C-Com recently delivered a number of its iNetVu Mobile satellite-based antenna […]

By Stephen A. Blum The U.S. DBS industry is at a crossroads, at least in terms of trend analysis. Recent results in general, and DirecTV’s 2003 guidance in particular, point […]

Paris-based Eutelsat S.A. is a profitable global satellite operator that appears unlikely to be sold anytime soon, despite unsolicited buyout offers it has received from its two biggest U.S. rivals. […]

Washington D.C.-based XM Satellite Radio Inc. [XMSR] took a big step toward gaining the financial breathing room it needed this week by closing on its previously announced $475 million funding […]

The government of Norway has agreed to purchase $15 million Canadian (US$9.8 million) worth of RADARSAT-2 data. Under the agreement, the first of its kind with Europe, Norway has committed […]

New Skies Satellites [NSK] has signed a multi-year, multi-transponder deal with Indian telecom company Reliance Infocomm, enabling Reliance to offer international long-distance telephone services to the United States. The bundled […]

Song, a new owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines [DAL], will be offering in-flight satellite TV as part of its effort to meet travelers’ needs, company officials said. Song is […]